The Mariners fell to their first Sky Bet League Two defeat of 2026 as they were beaten by Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Stadium.

The hosts raced into a two-goal lead within seven minutes as a Kofi Balmer volley was added to by Joe Quigley, although Town came back into the game and halved their deficit when Andy Cook struck seven minutes before the break.

Despite finishing the first half strongly, the visitors were unable to find an equaliser and instead, Tottenham Hotspur loanee Yusuf Akhamrich sealed the points with Rovers’ third goal just after the hour.

It meant the Mariners’ impressive 10-match unbeaten run, stretching back to December 20, came to an end as Steve Evans’ side became the first since Bromley to take maximum points against David Artell’s men.

Four changes were made to the Grimsby XI after Wednesday’s home draw with Walsall, as Sam Lavelle, George McEachran, Jaze Kabia and Charles Vernam all returned to the team.  Maldini Kacurri, Geza Turi, Darragh Burns and Tyrell Sellars-Fleming were the ones to come out of the starting line-up.

Goalkeeper Jackson Smith was protected by a defence of Harvey Rodgers, Lavelle, Cameron McJannet and Reece Staunton, while Kieran Green, McEachran and Jamie Walker made up the central midfield unit as Kabia and Vernam pushed forward from the wings in support of striker Cook.

Turi, Burns and Sellars-Fleming were all named on the bench, alongside Seb Auton, Tyrell Warren, Evan Khouri and Justin Amaluzor.

Rovers were aiming for a victory to breathe new life into their bid to escape relegation to the National League, having lost their previous three games to sit 22nd in the league table and just two points ahead of the bottom two at kick-off.

Strikers Ellis Harrison and Quigley would look to get the goals, with Akhamrich joining the attack as Evans made four changes to the team beaten by Oldham Athletic in midweek.

FIRST HALF

Heavy rain greeted the teams in the south-west and Town were first to go forward but an offside decision against Cook brought the move to an end.

Instead, it was the hosts who made a dream start as they took the lead from their first attack, with a little over a minute on the clock.  A free kick from halfway was headed away by Staunton but the ball fell for BALMER to strike a low volley from 20 yards which flew past Smith and into the net.

Another home free kick from a similar position caused no problems as Richie Smallwood’s delivery bounced away for a goal kick, then Town won the first corner after a flowing move led to a low cross from Vernam , which was put behind by defender Alfie Kilgour.  Vernam pulled the ball back towards Kabia from the flag but after it came back to him, Green was caught offside from the cross.

Moments later, the home side doubled their advantage.  A long kick forward by goalkeeper Brad Young was headed on for Akhamrich on the left and he squared for QUIGLEY to finish from close range and make it 2-0.

Vernam sent a low shot through to Young as Town looked to respond, then a trip by McEachran on Kane Thompson-Sommers gave Rovers a free kick in a shooting position, although Ryan De Havilland’s strike hit the Grimsby wall.

Vernam floated a cross from the left which beat Young but bounced back off the far post to be cleared, before Staunton sent a free kick into the box which was headed over the bar by Green.

McJannet blocked a shot from Akhamrich, then a strike by Clinton Mola took a deflection for a corner on the Rovers left.  Green headed Smallwood’s delivery away and Smith was fouled as the ball came back into the penalty area.

Kabia needed treatment on his left arm following a challenge but was passed fit to continue, with the game now settling down after the home side’s fast start.

A Town penalty appeal was turned down on 26 minutes when Cook went down inside the box under a challenge from Kilgour, then Vernam lost out in a duel with Joel Senior as the Mariners attacked again.

Kilgour blocked a strike by Kabia for a corner just before the half-hour but Harrison headed Staunton’s ball away and Rovers broke through Akhamrich, although Walker did well to get back and win a goal kick.

Rodgers recovered well to deny Quigley after the striker looked to have a chance when he was picked out by a cross from the right.

Young then dived to make a save from Vernam at the other end after the referee played a good advantage following a foul on Walker.

Soon afterwards, the Mariners were back in the contest, as Vernam’s low cross from the left picked out COOK in the six-yard box and he found the net at the far post with a shot on the turn.

Another Town penalty claim was dismissed as Kabia went down under a challenge with Mola on 44 minutes, with the referee instead ruling against the attacker.

Kabia was given a free kick as the game moved into four added minutes when he was tripped by Mola on the right.  The defender was booked for the challenge but Quigley got to Vernam’s delivery first to head clear.

De Havilland cleared after Young dived to keep a low strike by Walker out with a strong hand and that proved to be the final opportunity for the Mariners to level the scores before half-time, as Rovers went in with the lead.

SECOND HALF

No changes were made before the restart and the hosts won the first corner of the second half five minutes in as Green stopped Quigley.  The ball from the flag was headed back across goal by Quigley and after it was half-cleared, Walker bravely blocked Harrison, who was booked for a late challenge on the Town midfielder.

A foul on Akhamrich gave Rovers a free kick on their right after a spell of possession, although a volley from Balmer was blocked from it and a foul on McEachran gave Town their opportunity to get the ball away.

McJannet got across to stop a run from Thompson-Sommers and the home pressure continued with two Balmer long throws in quick succession, which were both dealt with by the Grimsby defence.

Town won a corner on the hour but Quigley jumped to head the ball clear from it, then Thompson-Sommers beat Rodgers on the home left and crossed for Akhamrich, although he could not find a team-mate with his header back across goal.

Moments later, however, the hosts restored their two-goal cushion.  Quigley beat Lavelle on the left and pulled the ball back for Thompson-Sommers, who helped it on for AKHAMRICH to steer a low finish past Smith.

Quigley and Thompson-Sommers made way for Promise Omochere and Luke Thomas as Rovers made a double-substitution soon after the goal.

Burns replaced McJannet in Town’s first change on 69 minutes, before Omochere turned an Akhamrich cross wide of Smith’s near post.

Lavelle then blocked a header from Omochere as the hosts looked to make the points safe with a fourth goal, before Harrison sent a diving header wide.

Smallwood was booked for a late challenge on Walker, then Kilgour turned a Thomas free kick wide at the far post.

Senior won a corner after beating Staunton on the home right but Smallwood’s flick-on from Thomas’ delivery went out at the far post for a goal kick.

Turi and Amaluzor came on for Green and Walker with 10 minutes to go and a free kick on the left two minutes later brought an opportunity to create danger.  Staunton’s ball into the box was met by Lavelle but he was off-target with a header.

Fabrizio Cavegn replaced Harrison in the home attack on 83 minutes and his first involvement was to earn a corner on the left, which was cleared by Turi.

Cook went close to bringing the Mariners back into the contest once again when he flicked a Staunton corner towards goal, only to be denied by a brilliant save from Young.

Sellars-Fleming replaced Vernam with a minute remaining and the hosts responded with a change of their own, as Akhamrich made way for Mees Rijks.

Cavegn missed the target from the edge of the box as the game moved into a minimum of five added minutes.

Omochere then had a good chance to make it 4-1 when Smallwood squared for him but the striker’s heavy first touch took the ball through to Smith.

Another opportunity came seconds later as Cavegn rounded Smith and pulled the ball back from the left but again, Omochere could not take advantage as he steered it wide of the far post.

Young got down to make a comfortable stop at the other end as a free kick was headed down by Cook and that proved to be the last goalmouth action of the afternoon as the referee’s final whistle confirmed the three points for the home side.

The Mariners are back on the road again on Saturday, when they will make the trip to Notts County.

Town: Smith, Rodgers, Lavelle, McJannet (Burns, 69), Staunton, McEachran, Kabia, Green (Turi, 80), Walker (Amaluzor, 80), Vernam (Sellars-Fleming, 89), Cook

Subs not used: Auton, Warren, Khouri

UTM